US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4186

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 004186 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, IZ 
SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE MISSION SURVIVES ATTACK, SCORES 
POINTS WITH IRAQIS 
 
REF: BAGHDAD 4118 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Robert Ford. 
Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY. (C) An eleven member Arab League (AL) 
delegation continued their five-day fact-finding visit 
to Baghdad despite an attack on their convoy that 
resulted in the deaths of 2 security guards.  Except 
for that incident, the Iraqi MFA and the Prime 
Minister's office characterized the visit as extremely 
successful.  The delegation met with leading 
government, political and civic leaders in a visit 
designed to pave the way for a visit to Baghdad by AL 
Secretary General Amre Mousa.   Sunni TNA Speaker 
 
SIPDIS 
Hasani welcomed Arab League involvement in Iraq saying 
it will add balance to the political discourse and 
urged the League to open up an office in Baghdad.  No 
commitments were made for a Mousa visit or the opening 
of an office.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) An eleven member Arab League delegation, 
headed by Ahmed bin Hili, Secretary for Political 
Affairs, visited Baghdad from October 8-12 to pave the 
way for a planned visit to Baghdad by Secretary 
General Amer Mousa.  The delegation met with Iraqi 
political, civic and government leaders.  Media 
reaction to the visit was mixed.  Shia publications 
questioned Arab League meddling in Iraqi affaris while 
pro-Sunni Arab publications welcomed the perceived 
added political support.  Poloff heard from several 
Sunni Arab political sources that the delegation urged 
Sunni leaders to take part in the Iraqi political 
process. 
 
3.  (C)  A top aide to Prime Minister Jafari told 
PolCouns October 11 that Jafari declined to meet the 
delegation, but a group of PM staffers had what the 
aide called an excellent session.  He said that the 
delegation emphasized that they wanted to begin the 
arrangements for a Musa visit.  The delegation, our 
source said, would urge all Iraqis to come together in 
the political process.  The PM's aide called this a 
very useful message, and he said the PM would welcome 
an Amre Musa visit if this was what Musa would say in 
Iraq. 
 
4. (C) Fawzi Hariri, Chief of Staff to Foreign 
Minister Zebari, told Poloff October 11 that the Iraqi 
MFA, hosts for the delegation, packed the four-day 
schedule with over seventeen meetings with leading 
Iraqi figures.  The group met, or will meet with 
Deputy President Adil Mehdi, Deputy President Ghazi 
al-Yawar, FM Hushiyar Zebari, Interior Minister Bayan 
Jabr, Planning Minister Barham Salih, TNA Speaker 
Hachim al-Hasani, PM Spokesperson Laith Kubba, UN 
Special Representative Ashraf Qazi, Iraqi Islamic 
Party (IIP) leader Muhsin al-Hamid, Muslim Ulema 
Council leader Harith al-Dhari and others.  Iraqi Red 
Crescent Director Said Haki refused to meet with the 
delegation saying he will only meet with AL Secretary 
General Mousa. 
 
Visit a Success but ... 
----------------------- 
 
4. (C) Fawzi also characterized the mission as 
extremely successful (except for the incident outlined 
below) though no commitments were made by the 
delegation even though they were in daily contact with 
SG Mousa.  He said the delegation was very 
apprehensive about conditions in Baghdad and was 
pleasantly surprised by what they saw.  Fawzi 
recounted that Luma Kasim, Mousa's assistant for Iraq 
and a personal friend, was initially scared of 
visiting and brought along basic necessities believing 
that conditions in Baghdad would be spartan.  A visit 
by Mousa to Baghdad is still hoped for in the October 
19-23 time frame. 
 
5. (C) Saif Rhaman, Chief of Staff to Speaker Hasani 
told Poloff that the AL delegation visit was a welcome 
development that will hopefully add balance to the 
political discourse in Iraq.  Hasani told the 
delegation to open an office in Baghdad as quickly as 
possible. 
 
Marred by Attack on Convoy 
-------------------------- 
 
6. (C) The delegation came under fire on Monday 
afternoon in Ghazliya while traveling to the Um Al- 
Koura Mosque to meet with Muslim Ulema Council 
leaders.  Indications are this was a deliberate 
ambush.  According to an MFA source, the mosque 
meeting was scheduled at the last moment.  Three cars 
attacked the AL convoy with small arms fire.   One of 
the cars fired a rocket at the lead convoy MOI vehicle 
destroying it leaving 2 dead and 4 injured.  The other 
MOI vehicles engaged the insurgents and destroyed two 
cars (unknown number of casualties).  The convoy made 
it safely to the mosque.  The only injury to the 
delegation was a cut finger from broken glass (they 
were not in an armored vehicle) that did not require 
medical attention.  The area was secured by MOI and 
MNF-I troops and the delegation made it back to their 
hotel in the Monsour district after 3 hours. 
 
7. (C) Fawzi asserted to Poloff that the attackers 
could have killed the entire delegation.  The attack, 
which bore Ulema Council fingerprints was meant as a 
warning message, he claimed.  Saif Rhaman on the other 
hand, told Poloff that Iraq's eastern neighbors were 
responsible for the attack.  The PM's aide said the 
attack was regrettable but useful for the Arab League 
to understand what kind of people the terrorists in 
Iraq are. 
 
8. (C) Comment.  It is unclear how the attack on the 
delegation will impact plans for a Mousa visit or the 
opening of an Arab League office in Baghdad.  The good 
news is that the delegation did not leave Baghdad 
immediately and is continuing with the visit.  As we 
have reported, there is nervousness among the Shia 
Islamists here about the role neighboring Arab states 
and the Arab League would seek to play.  The apparent 
comfort expressed by the Prime Minister's aide, who 
reflects some of the Shia Islamist leadership views, 
is therefore interesting.  The Prime Minister, in 
particular, would like to see Arab countries send 
ambassadors to Baghdad.  Jafari and other Iraqi Arabs 
perceive an Amre Musa trip would raise pressure on 
Arab countries to be more forthcoming about the level 
of diplomatic relations.    End Comment. 
Khalilzad